Article dispensing utility box



March 17, 1964 J. B. MERILA ARTICLE DTsPENsTNG UTILITY Box Filed Oct. l, 1962 fifi.. m11

INVENTOR Jah/7 5. /ff/e/'/a BY Z United States Patent O 3,125,214 ARTCIJE DISENSING UTHJITYBX iohn E. Merila, 312i) Forest, Kansas City, Mo.

Oct. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 227,393 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-42) The principal object of the present invention is the 1 provision of a utility box of the character described having a novel form of construction involving only two body members having the form of relatively inverted cups, one of which is rotatably telescoped within the other and having apertures formed in the mating walls thereof,

the box being opened or closed depending on whether said apertures are in or out of registry. A single spring serves both to lock the two body members in assembled relation, and toy secure them resiliently in the closed position.

Another object is the provision of a utility boxof the character described above having two internal compartments for containing different articles, the box being capable of being opened to remove articles selectively from either compartment Iwhile leaving the other compartment sealed. Y

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency and dependability ofoperation, and adaptability for a wide variety of usages. y

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a top plan view of a utility box embodying the present invention, shown in its closed position,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation-a1 view of the box as shown in FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the box as shown in IFIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 5,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line V--V of FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is a view .similar to FlG. 5, but showing the box in one of its open positions,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the method of inserting the spring, and

FIG. 8 is a View similar to FIG. l, showing a slightly modied form of construction.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies generally to an outer body member, formed preferably of plastic as shown, and being generally of cup shape, having a cylindrical side wall 4 and a generally planar end wall 6. An aperture 8 is formed in side wall 4. As best shown in FIG. 3, said aperture is generally rectangular, except that the portion thereof closest to end wall i6 is widened as indicated at 110` to better admit larger coins or other articles through said aperture, as will presently appear. Formed peripherally in the inner surface of side wall 4 of the body member is a groove 12 of generally semicircular cross-sectional contour. Said groove is of limited angular extent, terminating at its ends in shoulders 14 and 16 disposed respectively adjacent the opposite sides of aperture 8. Said shoulders are disposed radially of the body member.

The numeral 1S applies generally to an inner body 3,125,214 Patented Mar. 17, 1964 ICC member, which may also be formed of plastic but is preferably transparent to render lthe box contents clearly visible, and which is also cup shaped but inverted relative to outer body member 2, having a cylindrical side wall 2t? telescoped slidably within side wall 4 of the outer body member 2, and a generally planar end wall 22 spaced apart from end wall 6 of the outer body member. The interior of body member 1S- is divided into two segmental compartments 24and 26 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) by a partition |wall 28 preferably integral with said body member, and of the same vertical height as side wall 20 thereof. Side wall 261il has a pair of apertures 3@ and 32 formed therein at diametrically opposite points thereof, each of said apertures having the same size and shape as aperture 8 fof the outer body member. Side wall 2li also has a groove 34 of semi-circular cross-sectional contour formed in the outer surface thereof, said groove being of equal angular extent as groove 12 of the outer body member, and terminates at its ends in radial shoulders 36 and 38 corresponding respectively to :shoulders 14 and 16 of the outer body member groove. When the two grooves 12 and 34 are arranged coextensively, that is, with shoulder 36 registering with shoulder 14 and shoulder 38 registering with shoulder 16 as shown in FIG. 5, both of apertures 3% and 32 are out of registry with aperture 8. This is the closed position of the box. It will be noted that aperture 3o communicated with compartment 24, and that aperture 32 communicates with compartment 26.

The grooves V12 and 34 of the body members conjointly form a tubular passage in which is disposed a iiexible helical compression spring 40. FIG. 7 illustrates the method by which said spring may be inserted after the body members have been assembled, one of apertures 30 or 32 (32 as shown) being moved into partial registry with aperture 8. Said spring is under compression at all times, and urges the body member 18 at all times toward the closed position shown in FIG. `5. In this position, the spring abuts at its one end against shoulder 14 and 36, and at its opposite end against shoulder 16 and '38. When the inner body member 18 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 6, whereby to move aperture Sti into registry with aperture S to permit articles to be inserted into or removed from compartment 24, spring `#ttl is :further compressed between shoulders 14 and 38. When the inner body member is turned in a clockwise direction to bring aperture 32 and 8 into registry to provide access to compartment 26, spring liti is compressed between shoulders 16 and 36. In either case, the spring immediately returns the inner body member to its closed position whenever said inner body member is released.

Inner body member 18 is rotated manually within the outer body member by means of a handle 42 preferably for-med integrally with the inner body member and extending outwardly from end wall 22 thereof, said handle overlapping the upper or free edge of side wall 4 of the outer body member. A pair of projecting stops 44 and 46 are formed integrally 'with side wall 4, and are disposed in the path of handle 42. When the Ihandle engages stop 46, apertures 30 and 8 are in registry, and when the handle engages stop 44, apertures 32 land 8 are in registry. The outer body member may also be provided with yan integral tab `43 having a perforation 50 formed therein, whereby the device may be threaded on a key chain or the like if desired.

FIG. 8 shows a modification of the device wherein the box encloses only la single compartment, the device being otherwise identical to that shown in FIGS. 1-7 with corresponding parts indicated by corresponding primed numerals. In the FIG. 8 form, partition wall 2S is omitted, the inner body member is provided with only a single are :so disposed to permit turning of handle 42 in onlyy lone direction from its closed position, to bring apertures 30" and 8 into registry.

While I have shown and Adescribed a specific embodiment `of my invention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by `the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A utility box comprising:

a. a cup-shaped outer body member having a cylindrical side wall and a generally planar end wall, said side wall having an aperture formed therein and a peripheral groove formed in the inner surface thereof, said groove being a limited angular extent and terminating at each end, in a shoulder radial to said body member,

b. a cup-shaped inner body member having a cylindrical side wall telescoped rotatably within the side wall of said outer body member and a generally planar end wall spaced apart from the end wall of said outer body member, the side wall of said inner body member having an aperture formed therein adapted by relative rotation of said body members to be brought into registry with the side wall aperture of said outer body member, and a groove formed peripherally in the outer surface thereof, said grooves conjointly forming a tubular passage, the groove of the inner body member also terminating in shoulders radial to the body members, and

c. a exible compression spring disposed in the tubular passage formed by said grooves and normally abutting at its ends corresponding end shoulders of both of said grooves, whereby to secure said body members in assembly, and to hold said body members releasably in a closed position with the side wall apertures thereof out of registry.

2. The structure as recited in claim 1 with the addition of:

a. a handle secured to said inner body whereby said inner body member may be rotated relative to said outer body member, and

b. a stop member secured to said outer body and adapted to be engaged by said handle to arrest rotation of said body members with the side wall apertures thereof in registry.

3. 'The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said body members is formed of transparent material.

4. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the side wall of said inner housing is provided with two apertures normally spaced angularly in opposite directions from the aperture of said outer housing,l said inner body member being rotatable in either direction from its closed position to bring the apertures thereof selectively into registry with the aperture of said outer housing.

5 The structure as recited in claim 4 wherein said inner housing is divided into two compartments by a wall extending thereacross, each of the apertures of said inner body member communicating with one of said compartments.

6. The structure as recited in claim 4 wherein said grooves are of equal angular extent and are coextensively disposed when said box is closed, whereby said spring maintains said inner housing member releasably in its closed position but permits rotation thereof selectively in either direction, and wherein said inner housing is divided into two compartments, each of the apertures of said inner housing communicating with one of said compartments.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,698,579 Brisick Jan. 8, 1929 2,569,629 Everitt Oct. 2, 1951 2,771,990 Buschkamper Nov. 27, 1956 2,774,466k Liska Dec. 18, 1956 

1. A UTILITY BOX COMPRISING: A. A CUP-SHAPED OUTER BODY MEMBER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL AND A GENERALLY PLANAR END WALL, SAID SIDE WALL HAVING AN APERTURE FORMED THEREIN AND A PERIPHERAL GROOVE FORMED IN THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF, SAID GROOVE BEING A LIMITED ANGULAR EXTENT AND TERMINATING AT EACH END, IN A SHOULDER RADIAL TO SAID BODY MEMBER, B. A CUP-SHAPED INNER BODY MEMBER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL TELESCOPED ROTATABLY WITHIN THE SIDE WALL OF SAID OUTER BODY MEMBER AND A GENERALLY PLANAR END WALL SPACED APART FROM THE END WALL OF SAID OUTER BODY MEMBER, THE SIDE WALL OF SAID INNER BODY MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE FORMED THEREIN ADAPTED BY RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID BODY MEMBERS TO BE BROUGHT INTO REGISTRY WITH THE SIDE WALL APERTURE OF SAID OUTER BODY MEMBER, AND A GROOVE FORMED PERIPHERALLY IN THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF, SAID GROOVES CONJOINTLY FORMING A TUBULAR PASSAGE, THE GROOVE OF THE INNER BODY MEMBER ALSO TERMINATING IN SHOULDERS RADIAL TO THE BODY MEMBERS, AND 